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Beverly Hills 213 – October 28, 2009 Issue

Days of Her Life

By Adam Albright-HannaBeverly Hills 213 – October 2009

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ans of the iconic daytime program Days of Our Lives know the character Chloe Lane as the opera-singing beauty who disappeared in 2003, only to return in November of 2007. While Chloe can be mysterious, the person behind the role is the open and honest actress Nadia Bjorlin, whose amazing talents are keeping her extremely busy.

“Growing up I started with music, which then segued into musical theater and eventually television and film, right out of high school,” Nadia says, in regards to how she broke into television from music. “I don’t think I ever really had to transition from one to the other because I’ve been pretty fortunate so far in my career in that I’ve been able to have the best of both worlds. My singing has often been incorporated into a lot of projects I’ve worked on. For example, my character, Chloe Lane, on Days of our Lives is an opera singer. It was a prerequisite for the role to be able to sing. So I’ve been lucky enough to get to sing while I act!”

While Days was Nadia’s big break, she had actually never seen the show before getting the gig. “I was definitely missing out!” she says. After landing the role, she’s appeared on the show on and off for the past ten years. What does the experience mean to her? “It will always be a huge part of who I am because I practically grew up on the show,” she explains. “I’ve spent almost half my life there! The cast and crew of that show are like family to me now.”

Besides Days, Nadia is currently working on an album with two of her brothers, Ulf and Jean-Paul. “We’re ‘The Bjorlin Trio,'” she says, and the genre is “classical crossover, similar to Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban.” What inspired the family to work together? “We grew up playing and singing classical music together, so this feels very natural. Our father, the late Maestro Ulf Bjorlin, was a renowned conductor and composer, so it runs in the family.”

“I’m also a part of the upcoming web series Venice created by the amazing Crystal Chappell and Kim Turrisi. It’s gonna be a sexy show and I’m excited to start next week.” The show can be found at www.venicetheseries.com, and is already creating major buzz around town.

Other musical projects include a Christmas EP. “I’m excited to be working on this because I personally adore Christmas music and I’ve been asked by fans on numerous occasions to record some, so here goes!”

Nadia’s desire to perform across so many platforms is probably rooted in the fact that she is the 5th of 6 children. She explains: “I guess I just wanted someone to notice me! Haha! It’s certainly humbling being the 5th out of 6. You can’t get away with ANYTHING! And you don’t get spoiled, you get hand-me downs! Seriously, I’ve always loved being a part of a big family. I think it helps you develop character, and infragility but you also always have someone to talk to, confide in, or play with.”

Being on such a popular soap opera can be very rewarding, but sometimes fans can be a bit…obsessive. However, Nadia says that has not been a problem in her experience. “Thankfully my experience has been pretty positive. Days fans are awesome! They’re very loyal and supportive. I’m so flattered when someone says they’ve enjoyed a performance I’ve given. That’s the ultimate compliment. It’s always a pleasure to see and hear positivity in a world where now so many tabloids or internet blogs choose to tear people down with pointless negativity.”

Negativity is never in short supply in a city like Los Angeles, and it affects different people in different ways. “L.A. has been my home for my entire adult life now,” she says. “I have a love/hate relationship with L.A. Love the weather, healthy living, history and how you can can literally surf and then ski all in the same day. I hate the traffic, pollution, overpopulation, and did I mention the traffic and freeways?”

And what advice would she give to aspiring young actresses? “Take Fountain,” she says. Adding: “I’ve always wanted to say that!”

Besides her various artistic projects, Nadia manages to donate her time and energy to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “It holds a place near and dear to my heart because my father passed away from Leukemia in 1993. I was ambassador for the society when, coincidentally, my character on Days was also diagnosed with Leukemia. It was difficult having to act out an experience that was such a painful and life changing event in my whole family’s life, but the show handled the story so well. I also felt a huge responsibility to make sure the experience was accurate for those watching who were fighting their own battles with cancer.”

Nadia’s life is quite a whirlwind right now, but she manages to keep everything in perspective. “I don’t have a lot of extra time,” she says, “but I do like to just stop and enjoy the small moments in life. I love spending time with my friends and family, listening to music and to just laugh.”